My 21k Training

Sorry to jump in here guys, but since I signed up for a half marathon next May I'm seeking a little advice.

I just started running earlier this year and I'm doing 10km at around 55mins (my PB was 53.30 before I lost the routine in the summer!), so now I'm back to where I was I'll be starting to do the 10km sub 50 minute cycle next week or the following week to push myself a little more. I'll aim for a sub 2 hour half marathon. I know it's not very fast but it'll do for me. So when, and more importantly for me, how do I step up from the sub 50 10km sessions to a half marathon of 1hr 50min training? What are the guidelines for that?

Oh, and on a general note, I found that after falling out of my routine I was stupid and I tried to jump straight back into my old times. Big mistake. Just getting out running for a time period rather than worrying about distance and pace got me back to where I was within a week and there was no stress on the body. It also made jogging fun again for me!

Excellent read there, that's pretty similar to what I would like to achieve.

I'm doing a 9km fun run next Sunday (the 13th) to get my first "race day" experience, certainly not to break any records! I had planned to start your 3 week cycle on the 14th or 15th. Should I do one cycle with the targets as they are and then do the 4k test to see where I stand? What do you think?

My only other real concern is that I work at nights so my sleep cycle can get very messed up easily. I know the importance of good rest, so I'll just have to try my best to keep myself right as I go along I guess.

I'll do a time trail at some stage this week and just do a few sessions myself for the 10km (I read it wrong, it's a 9.9km forest run, so I'll just call it a 10km for handiness).

I'll let you know how that goes and then start your 10km programme. I'll also try and get some heart rate data for you. I have the Forerunner 305 but I've never really used the HR strap. I read a little about the whole heart rate thing in Bob Glover's The Runners Handbook (which is more interesting than I thought) so I have a bit of an idea as to getting started with HR stuff. I'll also read your section on it here.

As for the gigs, well, myself and one of the other lads are based in Germany and one is heading to Canada for a couple of years, so it might not be for a while before we play again! Still, it's good to know. We normally do a once a year reunion thing at our local Blues Festival, The Blues On The Bay. Not sure about 2012 because of the Canada factor!